When the human body dies, a number of processes are set into motion which contribute to the decomposition of the corpse.
Internally, the tissues of the body undergo a lysis or digestion after the initial stages of somatic death have occurred. Specifically, after the corpse has undergone algor mortis, liver mortis, and rigor mortis, the tissues of the body undergo a digestion or decomposition which is accelerated by the presence of putrefaction bacteria released from the intestine and the presence and feeding of other pathogenic microorganisms within the body.
Decomposition of the corpse is also enhanced or accelerated by the breakdown of autolytic and proteolytic enzymes in the tissues of the body which take place after death. Externally, the interaction and feeding of microorganisms and insects coupled with the oxidative reaction induced by the surrounding atmosphere further contribute to the decay of the corpse.
Today, the principal means used for preparation of corpses for burial is the embalming process wherein the blood in the corpse is removed and replaced with a chemical solution. For the most part, such corpses are subsequently buried in a casket where they are quickly subjected to the above mentioned decaying processes. The principal effect of the embalming process is to merely retard the decomposition of the body or, more particularly, the externally visible effects thereof for a relatively brief period of time; typically a few days. In some cases, much stronger solutions of preservatives are used to further delay the decaying process. However, these solutions cause chemical changes in the body tissues.
Other methods have been proposed and/or used for preserving corpses for more substantial periods of time. These include various chemical treatments such as bleaching, encasing of the corpse in air-tight containers, and cryogenic processes wherein the corpse is subjected to a deep freeze. For the most part, the chemical treatments which have been proposed, such as bleaching, are only a slight improvement over the traditional method of embalming in terms of delaying the decomposition of the corpse.
Encasement of the corpse in hermetically sealed containers has also been proposed. However, this process has not been coupled with any other steps to prevent or retard the decaying process, particularly, microbiological and chemical reaction processes which occur during decomposition.
Finally, cryogenics have been used for some time to prevent decomposition of the body. Although this method is relatively effective by comparison to the other methods of preserving bodies mentioned above, it is quite expensive and requires continuous effort to maintain the frozen environment in which the corpse is preserved.
Consequently, it is an object of this invention to provide a method of preparing corpses for storage and/or burial in which the body is preserved and protected from decomposition for substantial periods of time.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a method of preserving bodies which is economical.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide a method of preserving bodies in which embalming or other manually administered chemical treatments are not required.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a method of preserving corpses in which the corpse may be continually viewed without deterioration or cosmetic change.
These and other objects shall become apparent from the following specifications.